Old Norse Pagan Ritual (in Icelandic)

Liturgical Phrasebook

This is an ADF style ritual in Icelandic, using Old Norse archaic forms.

I’ve arranged the sentences with ritual instructions to form a complete rite, but the idea is that you can pick and choose phrases you need, and throw them into your own rituals.

If you have an established ritual framework, I’d suggest adding 2 or 3 of these into it with call and response, so people can repeat and get used to them. Or you can go whole hog and do an Asatru rite entirely in Icelandic! Up to you. I did the research for my own practice, but I spent the uncounted hours making the pages and mp3’s in the hope it would be useful to someone else. If this helps you, please let me know that I didn’t spend all this time for nothing! And if you want me to add mp3 guides for other phrases you use, just send me an email.

Personal Pronouns

This list is so you know whether a phrase is for group or solo ritual. The main bold text is for groups, but in parenthesis is the singular form. For instance, Vér erum hér means “We are here”. If you’re doing it solo, you would say Ek er hér , “I am here”. Ek is the archaic form of “I”, which you find in the original Eddas. In modern Icelandic, you would use Ég instead, which is pronounced like the English “Yay!”. The “g” is silent.

This is only for the nominative case, mind you. Icelandic is a declinated language, and there are four possible cases. It’s a pain, I know, but that’s how it is. So I give the singular form on the left, and the translated singular form and case on the right. The honorific pronouns are the older forms, kinda like “thee” and “thou” in English. By the way, English used to have cases too. “Thou” is the nominative form of the second person singular (you), and “Thee” is dative/accusative. “Ye” was the plural nominative form and “You” the plural nominative/dative. Don’t you feel so much smarter?

Hey! Who threw that spitball at me?!?

Case:	nominative, accusative, dative, genitive
I / Me You You (plural) We / Us	ég / ek(older form), mig , mér, mín. þú, þig, þér, þín. Þér, yður, yður, yðar (honorific), Þið, ykkur, ykkur, ykkar (informal). vér, oss, oss, vor (honorific), okkur, okkur, okkar (informal).

Each mp3 says the sentence quickly, then each word separately,

then again with time between each word so you can repeat the word.

(I suggest getting the FoxyTunes plugin to play mp3’s directly on a page, very useful !)

Opening:clap hands three times

(ek er) Vér erum hér til að heiðra guðina! Raise hands to sky, palms up Megi vernd Þórr vera með oss (mig). Kneel and put palms down on the earth Megi Móðir Jörð blessa oss (mig).

We are here to honor the Gods! (I am, nom.) mp3   May the protection of Thor be with us (me, acc.). mp3   May Mother Earth bless us (me, acc.). mp3

Triple Center: celebrants go to their center or shrine and speak

• Helgur eldur, brennið innra með oss (mér).    Holy fire, burn within us (me, dat.) mp3
• Helg lind, flæðið innra með oss (mér).            Holy well, flow within us (me, dat.) mp3
• Helgt tré, vaxið innra með oss (mér). Sacred tree, grow within us (me, dat.) mp3

Purifications : purify with mugwort, sprinkled water and mud on forehead

• Megi eldurinn vígja yður (mig).                      May the fire consecrate you (me, dat.) mp3
• Megi vötnin hreinsa yður (mig).                     May the waters purify you (me, dat.) mp3
• Börn jarðarinnar,                                              Children of the earth, mp3komdu sæll og blessaður (men)  mp3 / komdu sæl og blessuð (women). mp3    greetings (lit. come happy and blessed)
• Reply: En þu.                                                       And you.

Gatekeeper: celebrants go to their center and speak, visualize gates opening

Heyrið og svarið oss (mér)                  Hear and answer us (me, dat.)

Vörður hliða, látið hliðin opnast.       Keeper of Gates, let the Gates be open

Three Kindred: celebrants all face appropriate center or shrine

Landvættir, hinar göfuglyndu! Komið til vor (mín). Dveljið með oss (mér). Dveljið með oss (mér) núna! Við fögnum þér (velkomin) Landvættir, vér (ek) heiðra yður! Forfeður, kær framliðnu! Komið til vor (mín). Dveljið með oss (mér). Dveljið með oss (mér) núna! Við fögnum þér (velkomin) Forfeður, vér (ek) heiðra yður! Goð, hinir skínandi ! Komið til vor (mín). Dveljið með oss (mér). Dveljið með oss (mér) í dag. Dveljið með oss (mér) í kvöld. Dveljið með oss (mér) í nótt. Dveljið með oss núna! Við fögnum þér (velkomin) Goð, vér (ek) heiðra yður!

Land Spirits, noble/generous ones!(f.pl.) Come to us (me, gen.) Be with us. Be with us now We welcome you (welcome) Land Spirits! We honor you! Ancestors, beloved dead! Come to us (me, gen.) Be with us. Be with us now We welcome you (welcome) Ancestors! We honor you! Deities, shining ones!(m.pl.) Come to us (me, gen.) Be with us. Be with us today Be with us this evening. Be with us this night. Be with us now. We welcome you (welcome) Deities! We honor you! (I, nom)

Offerings

Göfuglyndu Landvættir! Þiggið fórn vora    Noble/Generous Land Spirits!

Forfeður, kær framliðnu! Þiggið fórn vora   Ancestors, beloved dead!

Goð, hinir skínandi !  Þiggið fórn vora          Deities, shining ones!

Þiggið fórn vora                                                  Accept our offerings/sacrifice

Omen

Megi goðin mæla til vor (mín)!                      May the deities speak to us! (me, gen.)

Megi forfeðurnir mæla til vor (mín)!             May the ancestors speak to us! (me, gen.)

Megi landvættirnir mæla til vor(mín)!          May the land spirits speak to us! (me, gen.)

Heyrið og svarið oss (mér)                           Hear and answer us (me, dat.)

Repeat last phrase more and more softly, and open to hearing them speak to you

Það er vel!                                                      It is well!

Return Flow: hold up the drink to be blessed, each celebrant at their center

Vér biðjum yður, veitið oss blessun yðar      We ask you, give us your blessing

Sjá! Vatn lífsins! Helgar veigar!       Behold! The Waters of Life! The sacred drink!

Megi guðirnir, hinir látnu og andarnir blessa oss (mig). May the Gods, the Dead and the Spirits bless us. (me, acc.).

Pass the horn.

Börn jarðarinnar, blessun guðanna er yfir oss. Children of the earth, the blessing of the Gods is upon us.

Reply: Verði svo!                                           So be it!

Thanking (Takk kærlega    Thank you very much / dearly)

Landvættir, hinar göfuglyndu!! Vér þökkum. Land Spirits, noble/generous ones!  We thank you.

Vér (ek) heiðra yður fyrir gæsku alla.          We honor you for all your kindness.

Vertu blessaður. Vertu blessuð                   Goodbye (to men, to women)

Forfeður, kær framliðnu! Vér þökkum.       Ancestors, beloved dead! We thank you.

Vér (ek) heiðra yður fyrir gæsku alla.          We honor you for all your kindness.

Vertu blessaður. Vertu blessuð                   Goodbye.

Goð, hinir skínandi ! Vér þökkum.               Deities, shining ones! We thank you.

Vér (ek) heiðra yður fyrir gæsku alla.          We honor you for all your kindness.

Vertu blessaður. Vertu blessuð                   Goodbye.

Triple Center: celebrants go to their center and speak

• Helgur eldur, brennið innra með oss (mér).  Holy fire, burn within us (me, dat.)
• Helg lind, flæðið innra með oss (mér).            Holy well, flow within us (me, dat.)
• Helgt tré, vaxið innra með oss (mér).             Sacred tree, grow within us (me, dat.)

Gatekeeper

Vörður hliða, látið hliðin lokast.                  Keeper of Gates, let the Gates be closed

Ending

Megi andlegu öflin blessa oss (mig).           May the spiritual powers bless us (me, acc.).

Megi guðirnir vera með þér (mér).                May the Gods be with you (me, dat.)

Reply:Og með þér sömuleiðis.                       And with you as well

Bless! Við sjáumst!                Bye! See you! Lit. Blessed, we will see each other